Becoming who they want to be: A cross-national examination of value-behavior concordance and mindfulness in adolescence
Abstract
Aristotle, Shakespeare, and Gandhi suggested the good life involves living according to one’s values, yet little research has examined the role of value-behavior concordance (VBC) in adolescence. Mindfulness may develop during adolescence and foster VBC via heightened awareness of one’s values and behaviors. We employed data from 5877 adolescents (M age = 17.53, SD = 3.67; 53% female) from seven countries (Australia, Canada, India, Thailand, Ukraine, United Kingdom, and United States), and examined invariance of links involving age, mindfulness, VBC, and meaning. In all countries, older adolescents were more mindful than younger adolescents, and higher levels of mindfulness were positively linked to VBC. Further, in six countries mindfulness was linked to meaning, in part, through VBC, suggesting a generalizable process where mindful youth experience greater meaning because they live according to their values. As evidence suggests mindfulness can be cultivated through meditation, mindfulness may be a trainable skill that helps young people become who they want to be.
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Previous studies support the role of Psychological Inflexibility processes in adolescents' suffering and psychopathology, as well as the role of Psychological Flexibility in adolescents' well-being and meaning in life.
“Previous studies support the role of PI processes in adolescents’ suffering and psychopathology (e.g., [49–54]), as well as the role of PF in adolescents’ well-being [55, 56] and meaning in life [57].”
From Acceptance and commitment therapy as a transdiagnostic approach to adolescents with different anxiety disorders: study protocol. (2025) · cites this paper as [57]
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- Authors
- Warren, M. T., Wray-Lake, L., & Syvertsen, A. K.
- Affiliations
- University of Oklahoma (US)
- Luskin School of Public Affairs, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
- Search Institute (US)
- Corresponding author
- Warren, Michael T.
- Venue
- The Journal of Positive Psychology
- Publisher
- Informa UK Limited
- Published
- 2017-07-11
- Pages
- 1-12
- ISSN
- 1743-9760 (ISSN-L)
- 1743-9779
- OpenAlex
- W2736268678
- Cited by
- 13
- References
- 59
- Citations by year
- 2025: 2 · 2024: 2 · 2022: 4 · 2021: 3 · 2020: 1 · 2019: 1
- FWCI
- 0.68
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- The Journal of Positive Psychology (publishedVersion)
- Funders
- Claremont Graduate University
- John Templeton Foundation
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Mindfulness and Compassion Interventions
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Social Psychology › Psychological Well-being and Life Satisfaction
- Social Sciences › Education › Values and Moral Education
- Keywords
- mindfulness, adolescence, meaning in life, cross-national comparison, age differences, self-realization, meditation
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